Thursday, August 15, 2013

Companions

I really enjoy reading the book With You All The Way by Max Lucado.


In this book a prince sets up a quest for three knights who want to marry a princess. The knights have to prove that they are worthy by traveling through a dreadful forest and making it to the king's castle. This forest is dark, dreary, and filled with hopenots, creatures who make traveling through the forest miserable. The strongest knight asks if they can take anyone with them, to which the prince responds that they may take one companion with them. The fastest knight asks how they will find their way through the forest. The prince pulls out a flute, plays a song, and explains that the king will play the exact same song three times a day and this will help lead the knights to the king's castle. The wisest knight asks if the king and the prince will play the exact same song and if their flutes are identical. The prince replies that the songs are the same and the king and the prince play identical flutes. The next day the knights and their companions set off into the forest. After a great deal of time passes the servants at the king's castle see two men come walking out of the forest, so they clean them up and have a grand feast that night. During the feast the king plays his song one last time, and … the wisest knight walks into the room. The wisest knight explains that their trip was difficult. The hopenots stole their horses, but they kept going. The hopenots attacked them, but they fought back. The trickiest thing the hopenots did though, was whenever the king played his song, hundreds of hopenots would mimic it on their own flutes. The wisest knight explained that he made it through the forest because he chose the right companion. The wisest knight made it through the forest with … the prince by his side. This way he could always hear the kings song because it was with him all the way.

http://www.ewallpapers.eu/view_wallpaper/forest-path-1920-1080-5438.html

Just like these three knights we often set off on quests of many different types, and just like these knights we often run into dreadful hopenots who steal our horses, attack us, and mimic the song telling us which way to go. In the moments when we encounter these dreadful places in the forest it is very important that we have the right companions traveling with us.

Throughout these last 19 years of my life I have traveled life's forest with some amazing companions and received incredible support from them. I have been able to walk alongside my Savior, family, friends, neighbors, ministers, teachers, and countless other people.

Throughout this next year I am looking forward to the quest I have set out on as a State FFA Officer, and continuing to travel with many of my old companions as well as new ones, including my teammates and FFA members across the state of Kansas.

What companions are you traveling through this forest with?


My family: front row, l-r, Drew, Silas, Dad (David), Mom
(Kelly), Kade, Brady. Back row, l-r, Jacey, Cody, Jeremy, Seth.
My officer team: front row, l-r, Chance, Daryl, Cody.
          Back row, l-r, Carrie, Elizabeth, Lindy.

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